From the Department of Pedimrics, KASHAN University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Islamic Republic of lran
Abstract: (6133 Views)
Considering the fact that early hypocalcemia is the most common type of
neonatal hypocalcemia which manifests during the first few days of Iife (72 hours)
and that hypocalcemia in low birth weight neonates is very common, this descriptive
study on hypocalcemia was conducted to determine the frequency of hypocalcemia
in low birth weight neonates in the city of Kashan in the first 9 months of
the year 1997. A total of 250 infants weighing less than 2.5 kg were included in
this study. Variables such as gestational age, APGAR score, birth weight, preeclampsia
of mother and age of pregnancy were recorded. All of the newborns
were checked and laboratory tests for serum calcium level were performed on
them. Any full-term infant with a serum calcium level less than 8 mg/dL or preterm
infants with serum calcium levels less than 7 mg/dL were identified as hypocalcemic
infants. The results of the study showed that 22.4% of the infants
were hypocalcemic, most of these being neonates below ls00g weight. The frequency
of hypocalcemia in infants whose mothers were afflicted by pre-eclampsia
was 30.8%. The frequency of hypocalcemia in infants with low APGAR score
was 28.8% and for those neonates with a normal APGAR score, 21.2% (p
value
Type of Study:
Original Research |
Subject:
Pediatric